


Thoughtful Gift

by mental_general



Category: Free!
Genre: Christmas Presents, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 06:51:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9223847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mental_general/pseuds/mental_general
Summary: Where Rin is overly prepared in giving gifts and Haru is the one who has to catch up.





	

Rin was shivering in the december cold as he climbed the last steps up to Haru’s house. He’d just gotten away from Makoto’s place after Ren and Ran had kept Rin there for far longer than he’d intended. Man, he was glad Gou was only a bit younger than himself, kids were exhausting. Thinking about Makoto’s almost endless patience, Rin knocked on Haru’s sliding door and adjusted the bag on his shoulder while he waited for an answer. After hearing not much of anything, least of all the padding of feet approaching the door, Rin let out a ‘tch’ and circled the house to break into the side door.

The quick side trip to the Tachibana’s to dispense presents “from the Matsuoka family” had been worth it after all. A sibling on each arm, Makoto had told him that, Yes, Haru would be home, but no he probably won't answer the door so go around the side-

Rin poked his head through the ajar door called Haru’s name, well Makoto did say he might be in the bath tub. Stepping inside, Rin grappled with his shoes while keeping an ear out for the occupant.  His bag was making a break for freedom off his shoulder and almost toppled over in his effort to keep everything vertical. Leaving his shoes at the spare door, Rin padded into the sitting room and shouldered off the bag to lean against the kotatsu, and after a moment he swept a look around the room and grinned at the few packing boxes here and there; the school year wasn’t even over yet and Haru was already packing?

“Why are you grinning like an idiot in the middle of my living room?” Rin nearly jumped out of his skin, he hadn’t even heard Haru, he’d been too busy thinking about swimming with Haru, winning gold with Haru, taking the world by storm with Haru-

“Where did you even come from?” Rin asked, exasperated. Rin looked Haru up and down, he’d obviously just came home; his red nose was peeking out over the top of the collar of his jacket, his hands jammed deep into its pockets and body still hunched over in an unconscious effort to conserve warmth.

“You look like you’ve been out for ages. Makoto said you’d be home.”

Rin saw what might have been a pout on Haru’s face but it was gone so fast it might have been a trick of the light, and so focused he was on what might have been on Haru’s face he didn’t pay any special attention to Haru taking off his jacket. Well he was _definitely pouting_ now while mumbling out a “Makoto doesn’t know everything I do.”

Rin had to smile at that and his chest felt full, almost too full for him to bear and looked down at his feet before his chest cracked open and spilt itself all over the tatami. A silence stretched out between them and Rin had composed himself enough to venture a glance at Haru who was still a bit red from the cold and was looking over at one of the packing boxes.

“It’s a bit cold.” one of them says.

“I’ll make some tea.”

“Do you need help?”

“I’ve got it.”

 

* * *

 

The blood in Rin’s legs were beating out a rhythm on the inside of his skin informing him of how cold his poor legs were before getting under the kotatsu, he had his bag resting on his right side and was leaning on his folded arms over the table. Rin closed his eyes and let himself sink into the warmth of the blanket and sounds of Haru in the kitchen. He got lost in what might have been Haru getting a tray out of the cupboard and what might have been the cups being placed on the tray along with the teapot, and what probably was the water being poured into the pot. He even heard a little ‘hmph’ out of Haru and the early evening carries the sound to Rin. He wondered what that sound means; was Haru just clearing his throat? or is the tea to his satisfaction? Or-

Rin heard Haru approach the table and dazedly lifted his head and cracked a lazy smile in Haru’s direction, he heard Haru’s breath catch a bit -he must have been getting a cold- before Haru slid the tea tray onto the table and get under the kotatsu himself. Rin sat up and stretched with his hands lightly braced on the edge of the table and the last of his doze is lifted.

The tea was still brewing when Rin said, “So what was the Great and Secretive Haru doing out?” Rin couldn’t resist stirring up Haru, he has to see those still waters riled.

Haru had no intention of rising to the bait and cooly replied, “I had to go into town for a while.” He quirks an eyebrow at Rin, “A better question would be, why are you here?”

Rin flushed and looked down at his hands. The jig was up, he had better come clean why he was lurking around in Haru’s house. “Well it’s no big deal but-” Rin reached down to his side and pulled out a wrapped present from the bag at his side. He placed it down on the table and slid it to the middle. Haru didn’t take the present immediately and instead poured out the tea into two cups and picked one up and started sipping from it. Rin watched this with growing frustration and a little bit of embarrassment, and frowned.

“Aren’t you going to open it?”

Haru quirked an eyebrow and said, “But it’s not Christmas yet, I can’t open until then.”

Rin looked at the roof and let out an exasperated groan. “Haru,” he stretched the sound out and bordering on whining, continued. “I didn’t spend three hours at the shops with Gou helping her with present shopping just to-” Rin was flushed when he stopped mid sentence and abruptly got up, almost banging his knee on the table on the way. Rin knew his ears were probably red but he refused to look at Haru and addressed the packing box behind Haru’s head.

“Y’know it’s whatever, but I just thought I’d get you something. As a congratulations on going to Tokyo and all.” He was only forty percent sure why he stood up, his body knew it wanted escape before his mind did, and was ready to commit to this idea before Haru cleared his throat.

“Sit down, Rin.” Haru’s voice was firm and Rin’s body held out a very impressive one second before it betrayed him again and he reseated himself under the kotatsu. He stared at the cooling cup of tea in front of him.

“I’m going to open it.”

Rin lifted his head and watched as Haru put his cup down on the table and take the wrapped, medium sized box in his hands. Rin was glad Gou had insisted on wrapping all the presents they’d gotten. His wrapping had always been atrocious. Haru carefully picked off the tape and unwrapped the paper and lifted the lid. Rin watched Haru’s face and was relieved when Haru’s eyes lit up.

“Do you like it?” He asked.

“Rin, it’s a dolphin.” Rin was no Haru Expert like some but he could definitely hear the excitement in his voice.

“I was hoping to get something to keep you company while you’re away.” Rin explained, smiling. Haru gave the plush dolphin a squeeze in his hands and Rin spied a small smile on him. Haru stared at the plush and seemed to come to an understanding with it, he nodded slightly and lifted his head up and locked his gaze onto Rin. He felt electricity jolt through him like they were both about to compete but the tension was broken when Haru simply said, “I have something for you.” and got up still holding the stuffed animal. Rin spluttered a bit and gave a weak protest but he was ignored and Rin watched Haru disappear into the kitchen. He appeared after a moment with the dolphin under his left arm and a small box in his right. Putting it on the table, Haru returned to the warm embrace of the blanket. Rin picked up the little box and saw a small shark keychain through the plastic cover, the toothy grin of the great-white shark mirrored his own.

“Did you just buy this before, Haru?” Rin was honestly ecstatic to receive anything from Haru, he didn’t expect it.

“I was going to wrap it, but you came over too early.” Haru was staring down at the plush in his hands.

Rin had already got the shark out of its packaging and was rummaging around in his bag for his set of keys to attach it when he heard what Haru said and lifted his head and gave the other boy a grin that was impossibly wider than before, “Did Makoto tell you I was coming?” He asked.

Haru was avoiding all eye contact when he said a quiet, “He might have.”

Rin decided not to give in to the urge to tease the hell out of Haru. Instead he dropped his head and ran his thumb over the back of the shark. “Thank you, Haru. I’ll take it everywhere with me.”

“That’s why I got it.” Haru blurted out, “I wanted something that could go on the plane with you…” He trailed off and picked up his tea to take a sip, not realising it was already empty. He looked at the bottom of the cup a bit shocked and put it down again.

Rin might have been blushing, but being red all the time might just be his default state of being at this point of his life. He struggled to find something to idle with as they both privately dealt with their thoughts. He nearly spat cold tea everywhere when he absently brought the cup to his mouth.

And Haru laughed.

Just a bit.

And Rin felt like he was given two gifts that evening.

 End

* * *

 

Haru got them some new tea and they were warm for the rest of the evening.

Rin left for Australia a month later and had the shark in his hand the entire flight over.

Haru loves the plush, but only calls it The Dolphin, and moves it around the house so it's always with him when he’s cooking, cleaning, bathing etc.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Poolschan  
> I hope you can forgive it being so late.


End file.
